Tangled
by Wicked R
Summary: With Fred gone and the rest of the team still mourning, Angel has nobody to turn to when getting into trouble. Except…mild AS slash. Buffy suddenly arrives to catch them in bed!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Tangled

Author: Wicked R

Disclaimers: Whedonverse. Lyrics by Crowded House.

Please email for comments and criticism. Cynicism is allowed too.

Genre: Angst, h/c, classical sickfic (in more ways than one), slash.

Rating: R

Summary/Set/Pairing: With Fred gone and the rest of the team still mourning, Angel has nobody to turn to when getting into trouble. Except…mild A/S slash. Buffy suddenly arrives to catch them in bed!

Approximate reading time: half on hour.

Note: English is still not my first language, but I'm getting there…

"Why do I need to come with you?" Spike asked from the passenger seat of the less eye-catching dark blue Honda Stream, also property of W&H that Angel was driving, "do you enjoy me being annoying again?"

"It is our responsibility to prevent the misuse of artfacts," Angel said firmly and with a certain imperative.

"It's maybe your destiny to spend endless times on the bottom of the ocean looking for some dubious knick-knack," Spike snorted, "but it's certainly not mine."

Angel cringed at the memories of the summer he spend deep down, but he certainly wouldn't let Spike know anything about that, "because you need to earn your rent, that's why. Not to mention the amounts of swine blood you pig out on."

"What? Being Illyiria's pummel sack is not big enough of an undead cost for you?"

"Besides," Angel ignored him," we aren't looking for just any knick-knack. It is actually called the Summit Jewel and if in the wrong hands, they could order all creatures from Hell into one place with it."

"Why don't we leave it in the ocean then?"

"You know just as well as I do," Angel glared at his childe, letting his instincts drive him on the windy road, "that it would be better if we destroyed it. The sooner the better."

"You can do that alone. The pixie gave you an approximate location. You undress, you swim in, you go underwater, you search for soddin ever and there you are, a summit peach sparkler in your hands!"

"I need someone to perform a locator spell."

"Why isn't Wesley performing the locator spell? He needs to get out. You know, away from Highness Blue."

"Wesley can't do a locator spell while underwater, Spike," he narrowed his eyes, "at least not for long. That's why it has to be us, not to need to come up for air, equipment, whatever…"

Spike stayed quiet for a few moments, "just you and me. Away from everybody, all distractions, together alone, above and beneath," his voice turned into a singing pitch while glancing at Angel to have a look at the annoyance degree he was causing, "together alone, shallow and deep, Earth and sky, Moon and sea, Anei ra maua, E piri tahi nei, E noha…"

Spike didn't have a bad singing voice, but him singing meant a constant listening to him and he knew it too. Angel stepped on the accelerator. First, because that would help with getting to their destination quicker, and second, because then he would have to concentrate more on the road. So he did his very best to take no notice of the loud baritone next to him. This time, he tried to keep it in mind that Spike's fun was all the more enjoyable if he gave in and let himself annoyed. Nevertheless, he was slowly, but definitely getting a headache. And not just because of Spike. He hoped his childe didn't notice that he was tired. As a vampire he could endure a few nights of shorted sleep without physical effects, but nothing stopped him from getting irritable. He had to watch it with him or he was going to realize that he acted tired when he was not acting tired, if that made any sense. To show weakness to the enemy is to show them an opening. Somehow he could never get used to the fact that Spike wasn't supposed to be his enemy anymore.

Right enough, Spike didn't leave it laying, "c'me on, lighten up. For sure you haven't changed that much. You used to like to have fun. Call it a challenge, if it doesn't go any other way," the younger vampire grinned.

"Sorry, I don't play games with you," Angel parked the car on the beginning of a quay, only feet away from the water and hurriedly got out before Spike could retort.

"Anymore. Ever? Ever?" Spike was right in front of him when he reached to trunk to get their watertight clothing out.

When Angel finally let out a short growl, Spike took it as success in getting his Sire pissed off. Again.


	2. Stuck with You

To both their surprises, retrieving the Jewel was an easy task. After only half an hour of surveying the underwater terrain, moving over hills, dodging around jagged reefs and making their way through schools of small and stupid fish, they saw the grey, sand covered sea bottom sparkle at one point from under a big shrub of sea weed. Angel picked up the Jewel, relieved. He didn't usually think of the few month he spent not so far away from there, but the sight unlocked the cage of his blocked memories of laying completely motionless, frozen into apathy, unfeeling, unmoving, without sensation, without life. After the top of his coffin was shut, his bodily systems shut down until needed. But his mind, ah, his mind... the memories of those days were lacking clarity as his mind must've been. They were like faint images on a flickering screen, half remembered feelings. One of the most disturbing, the feel of the cold water. It never touched him directly though his box, but the chill reached him despite his vampire constitution…

Spike dived up immediately, also having had enough of the cold, salty sea water, having remembered himself being sometime during the second world war, somewhere around the middle of the Atlantic ocean. That after being thrown out of a submarine by Angel himself. He quickly swam towards the coast. The sea went deep abruptly just a few metres from the seashore so it took him a while until he could put his feet down on the ground. Instinctively, he looked around. He saw Angel's head and his completely ruined hairdo above the water, but he was still floating around the place they surfaced, "hurry up. Peaches! I'm tired. Don't tell me you've lost the thing and we have to go back down for it again! Cause you can do that yourself! I'm leavin!" He waited for a few moments, but there was no answer from his Sire and no attempts to either make it to the shore, or submerge again for the Jewel, if he had indeed lost it. Instead, Angel was looking quite disturbed and desperate, as much as Spike could see from a distance.

In fact, Angel was considering shouting to Spike for help. Considering and finding it very uncomfortable either way.

"God damn," Spike swam back towards Angel with experienced movements, "what?" As soon as he reached him, he knew for sure that his Sire was in some kind of trouble.

"Cramp…" Angel grimaced very embarrassed. He growled, trying to keep his head above the water. He looked like he was sinking any second now.

Spike, just as Angel expected him, chuckled. It amused him a lot and was no less than his rightful due for what Angelus had done to him in the past, "looks like you are unfit for any place other than hell. Did anybody ever tell you not to go out swimming when you are shattered? " Nevertheless, he hooked his arm over his Sire's upper body from behind as he side stroked back to shore, "play corpse, don't try anything," he instructed Angel. Struggling persons are the most awful bother in saving from the water and say I just won't bother. Say you can't reach shore till daybreak and that means you have to descend to and spend the whole day in the dark layers of the water. That's exactly what we had to do with Lawson when you dumped us from the submarine. Not to mention that I had to teach him everything. What is it like to be a vampire, how to hurt people, soddin everything. But that's bloody characteristic of you isn't it? Abandoning your childe for me to take care of?…I would laugh if you weren't so bulky," Spike made the best of the situation, "not that you wouldn't deserve it for daring to abandon special agent me in the open waters…" Without much reaction from the older vampire, he managed quite well the dumping him on shore.

Angel flinched, then started spitting water out. He supported himself on his elbow, spat some more water, then looked at him, "I could've done that by myself…"

"Excuse me? I saved your ass again," Spike retorted resentfully.

"…but thank you," Angel continued trying to stand.

Spike's mouth dropped and his head rolled back a bit, his blue eyes big, "what?!?" What's did you just say?"

------------------------------------

By the time they reached the car, Angel was back to his normal anti-Spike conduct and by the time they arrived back at W&H's car park, Spike was back to his Angel-bashing behaviour. The younger vampire considered Angel's small act of appreciation a one off, although he secretly hoped there would be more. It was fun seeing Angel give in, but he also missed the pal he once had in Angelus. Things got messed up and complicated since, but weren't they two of a kind? At least they could've been in a similar relationship to what Buffy had with Faith. But that meant showing weakness. If Spike would've shown affection in their current situation, it would've been a weakness. Would've been against lesson number one of Angelus of when they put their hands out into the sunshine together. Why were all these rules in his head? All these inhibitions that stopped him from being happy? Like the insecurity that stopped him going after Buffy. Insecurities he hid with attacking. How was that possible while he was usually the rebel one? Some rules just must be so imprinted in our existence.

But rules fortunately never stopped him from being in a middle of another argument with Angel, "so you're saying my subconscious mind has a feeling of resentment against Honda?"

"I never said you had a feeling of resentment against Honda. Nor my driving. I'm saying you have a bitterness against me," Angel stepped out of the elevator and turned onto the corridor leading to their almost adjacent penthouses. Angel had finally agreed a couple of weeks before to give Spike an apartment as he spent most of his time at W&H anyway. Of course Spike would have more time to annoy him from close by, but also he had enough of Spike annoying him about not getting a penthouse.

"Don't tell me you just found that out?" Spike giggled, "am I sounding especially unsympathetic to you today?"

"You didn't sound especially anything. You never do. What you say it's a load of crap."

"Now, now. Using one of my favourite expressions, your majesty?" Spike said in a kid-on touchy voice.

Angel glared at him, "once more, stop calling me that."

"Well, what else should I call you?"

"I have a name," Angel was looking murderously at him.

"So do I. And it's not idiot," Spike held up a finger and stopped in front of Angel's door. The grin had left his face, as had any trace of amusement, "you better call me Spike."

"And what if not? What are you gonna do?" Angel teased him as well, "start a fight? Hey! It makes sense. You should be able to beat me easily now that you managed just the once in your existence," a wave of dizziness swept unexpectedly over him, "you know what? How about rescheduling your Happy Annoy Me Hour for tomorrow?" he clutched his midsection and bowed his head, the pain threatening to overwhelm him.

Shuddering, he drew himself up straight and pressed the silver buttons next to his door taping in the combination to his apartment.

"What now?" Spike looked at him in bewilderment tilting his head, scrunching his eyebrows.

"As long as it breaks up this non-conversation, I'm not sure I care," Angel answered, ignoring that the question was obviously about his own well-being. He blinked as the world around him swam in and out of focus. His mind reeled for a moment, and the next thing he knew Spike was grabbing him and guiding him to the couch inside the now open apartment, where he summarily sat him down.

"Are you feeling alright?" Spike asked suddenly very softly as he closed the door behind himself.

"I'm fine..." The half-hearted lie wasn't fooling anyone, but Angel still tried to sound convincing. The truth he didn't feel he could afford to tell. And after all, he knew exactly what was wrong with him and why. He will deal with it himself, as he did in the past. He had to get a grip, at least in front of Spike.

"You don't look fine to me! Are you hurt?" Spike asked casually.

"What is it to you? You wanna a reason to laugh at me again?"

"I can do that without any reason, no problem, thanks. But I need to know in case we go out on some assignment any time soon again and you black out on me! Cause in that case I'm not going out with you at all! Not that I would otherwise without any benefits to myself, but…"

Shaking his head Angel made a conscious effort to appear nothing more than shattered, "I think its time I took some leave is all. We've had a pretty big caseload and maybe it's getting to me. I'm going to get some sleep..." He didn't argue with him as he wanted Spike out of his flat as soon as possible. Why was he always so persistent?

Spike's eyes narrowed, providing evidence he didn't believe a word. Angel looked sickly, and his eyes were almost blank, "Angel, I would say you need to look in a mirror, if you could see anything in the mirror that is. Just believe me, you look like crap. I'll get you some blood," Spike started towards the refrigerator.

That mirror image would be useful. If Spike offered help, he really would've liked to see how he looked. But he still needed Spike out of his living area. And he didn't want the blood either. He knew that right now it would just make him sick, "Spike, please, I have to sleep. I'm just tired," Angel said quietly, trying the non-aggressive approach this time, "very tired, you tire me out. Happy?" Angel laughed faintly, then frowned, laughter fading as quickly as it had begun. He bent over, holding his stomach, groaning as if in pain.

Spike quickly walked towards him and crouched down in front of him, more alarmed, then concerned. But from that angle he was now in, he could see his Sire's face

creased in a painful expression, his eyes closed and his teeth clenched. He was drenched with sweat, "what is it?" Spike called softly on a voice that could've been in certain circumstances described as tender, "you certainly can't be that hungry to have the hunger cramps. Or…do you?"

A mumble answered him. Spike shook his head. This was way too much different from their normal way of functioning with each other and he changed his behaviour accordingly. Angel needed help. His help. He should concentrate on that just now and leave the bitching about it for later. But of course, it will follow. It was too much of a good opportunity to miss, again. In essence, this could be a funny day, "Peaches?"

"It hurts," was the feeble answer he heard through the gritted teeth and that reinforced Spike in leaving his normal carry on behind.

"Lie down, take it easy," Spike touched the pillow, encouraging Angel to put his head on it, which he did, given that it was what he wanted all along, "let me see your stomach. I want to see your stomach…"

"Spike, I'd rather…"

"Bullshit! You, you soddin tosser," Spike muttered in a low but angry voice.

The tone left no room for argument, not even from his Sire. Closing his eyes Angel nodded and tried to relax.

Angel didn't object anymore, confirming Spike's suspicions that he was feeling worse than he let on. The younger vampire could see no sign of injury on him, which under the circumstances, wasn't likely to be a good thing. Nevertheless, he felt the abdominal muscles grow rigid at his touch and became locked in a presumably awful spasm, "these look like hunger cramps to me," Spike was confused, "but the ones that would occur if you haven't had anything to eat for like…a month. But…I saw you eat several times. I saw you eat yesterday. Hang on! This isn't right. I'm calling Wesley."

Angel got himself together enough to speak and came out with, "no! Spike, no. I don't want to bother him with this now. It would be complicated. He'd have to look into Fred's files. And we don't want that. Now that he stopped doing that…"

"Fred's files??"

Angel nodded, "I asked her to help me with this."

"This being what?"

"Are you sure you wanna know?"

"Hell! Yes. You seem to be sick. I am a vampire too. Would it affect me?"

"Funny thing is…yes. I mean in a hundred years perhaps if you stay off human blood for that long."

"You wanna tell me I'll get to writhe around the floor like a good pint pot for no particular reason?"

"We need human blood, Spike. Emphasis on human. Sooner or later…"

"Right 'Elus. Good cope out to get some," Spike laughed.

"I don't! Usually. Take some. Or any. Fred used to give me anti-spasmodic drugs. They help," Angel rubbed his stomach feeling worse than he had before.

"Where are they? The drugs."

"I finished them off," Angel groaned before he could stop himself.

"Would there be any more of it in the lab? Well, take that back, with the destruction Illyria caused a few days ago…wait I have an idea," Spike opened the bathroom door and stepped into the area. He located a few clean cloths and dipped them into warm water, squeezed the excess water out and went back to put them on Angel stomach, "it gives you the sensation as if you just fed. You don't want the otter blood I guess?"


	3. Ever Downwards

Angel glanced at the crumpled form in his armchair. Spike had fallen asleep a little while ago, after tending to Angel for a couple of hours without any squabbles or…any words coming out of his mouth at all. Angel assumed it would've been too strange for his Childe to openly show friendliness towards him, and he himself acted just the same. He was torn between trying to send his attendant away again and letting him take care of him. He really needed those warm compresses coming, but also he took some pleasure from it all too. A similar thing happened before, after he was severely wounded in a silly fight of his own fault with another gang of vampires back in Cheshire. Also, if it wasn't for his condition, he would've enjoyed watching Spike sleep. He remembered he used to do that, well, in another lifetime. Spike intertwined with Dru on a large fancy bed. His two childe, that loved him more than anything. When Darla was asleep he usually would go to their room and watch them sleep. Or, if they woke up, they would take pleasure in each other, together. If Darla found out, she would make a scene, or join them. Depended on her mood. After all, she did understand affection for your childe. She did understand it too much, as it stands. Things have progressed so much since then, for better and for worse. If he looked at it from a rude perspective, it appeared that there were many more bad points than good ones. He had lost people close to him...he knew that others would most likely to die too. And some would actually want to... He had also suffered himself, both mentally and physically. Some of this will heal, but he knew that there were some invisible scars there that will never go away. One the other hand, some have benefited from all of these experiences as well...Spike more than anyone else. He was able to make it through everything that came his way. And through everything he had seen and done, he had become a good and strong person, someone to be counted on when it really mattered. Someone worthy of redemption. Someone who got a soul for himself. Not like him. Spike was right, he was nothing like him. He was worthy of shanshu. Consequently, if he could reason with himself and not feel jealous for one reason or another, he would no longer have a reason to be frustrated with him. Instead, at times like this, he would've wanted to be able to express his positive feelings to him. And he would've wanted him to respond the same way. He wanted to start fresh and take hold of what they once had. But to do this, he first needed one last thing from William. He knew he was undeserving of it, but he hoped to be forgiven. At least by Spike. He needed to hear that from at least one of his descendants. And he wanted to hold him and hold onto him for comfort…the pain increased and he couldn't help moaning, queasiness and light-headedness mounting as he tried to reach for the bucket with the damp cloths himself. He couldn't reach, the bucket was turned over, water flowing onto the floor. After a few seconds or years, the pain was so bad it could have been either, he heard Spike stirring and saw the slender form slipping inside his view, face weary.

Angel's ancient brown eyes, showing the weight of years despite the guise of youth, were fogged and he was shuddering, his abdomen close to convulsions. Spike picked up the phone to call the ex watcher.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Wesley was waiting for them in the medical area having just read the exact file Angel was talking about earlier to Spike. It had been in the early hours of the morning when Spike had told him of Angel's illness. He knew it must've been severe, or else his proud boss would not have called for help. Especially not through Spike. Wes was even more worried when he saw his friend lying on the examination table, looking very unlike the tough warrior they were so used to seeing. He had seen earlier that Angel could barely walk into the room, even with Spike's help. The secret medical files had told the Englishman everything he needed to know about how to help the vampire, but nowhere in the records did Fred mention Angel feeling anywhere close to as bad as he looked just now. Although Wesley was still feeling numb after losing Fred, he was starting to fill with a certain amount of apprehension at the sight of his friend. Coming to take over the W&H was probably the worst decision they ever made. He nodded without speaking, his eyes filled with concern, and began, "hi…Angel. Where exactly does it hurt?"

Angel almost laughed out loud at the question. Where does it hurt? It hurt everywhere! "I. . . Oh."

"The most," Wesley corrected himself. Spike pulled back and leant onto the wall.

Angel touched his upper left quadrant, "but it's radiating all through to my back. Wes, I…I don't understand is why it hurts so much."

"We'll find out," Wes turned towards the demon doctor, a ghuraghs that resembled a bipedal hyena with four human-like arms which ended in claws. He was covered with ochre-yellow fur.

"My name is Tanari, I was introduced to you once when you visited Mr. Spike in here," the demon addressed Angel, then turned towards her assistant, "this is nurse Sherman."

"Maggie," the very human looking young woman in a strictly tailored nurse suit and with short, fantastically styled hair turned her head to look at her CEO and flashed her routine smile.

"Miss Sherman will take some samples from you and give us the results of a rough laboratory analysis, while I make an ultrasound," Tanari explained, "let's adjust the headrest a few inches higher…could you please slightly flex your knees? Does this hurt?" He pulled his claws inside his paws like a cat would when playing with its master and pressed his four fingers of the examining hand held contiguously with the fingertips in the same plane, very lightly on the previously indicated area of Angel's abdomen, just enough to indent the surface.

"Very much," Angel was wincing with the pain.

"I'll be very gentle, just one more thing, I'll proceed to find out about percussion tenderness. The presence of tenderness in response to gentle percussion has significance and it is a far kinder technique," he pat the same spot now and got a similar response, "ok, tenderness that is moderate or severe always signifies an inflammatory state. But it would be good to find out how much and exactly where. The physical examination doesn't seem to be the best option. Let's see if we can come up with anything," he pulled the ultrasound equipment closer, "I'm putting some clear gel onto your stomach to improve contact between the transducer hand piece and your skin…" He move the transducer around the vampire's abdomen to get the best picture and watched the screen intently for about a minute, "well. Ok. He's got acute inflammation of the stomach lining and duodenum, especially pylorus area, extending right till the peritoneum…"

"Isn't this just a little bit weird?" Wesley intercepted.

"Don't think so. Try to live on dog food for about a hundred years and you'll know. I'm having difficulties myself with the mostly human food that is available on this planet…Of course we'll check for all kinds of toxins and antibodies, but right now we'll have to get him on an iv. Maggie? Can I have 90mg of Flunixine meglamine in a Ringer solution? Also, another iv kit and a bag of whole blood and one of plasma, please Maggie…I'm afraid," he turned back towards Angel, "there is too much puss in there to clear by itself any time soon. We'll have to insert an open drainage tube.

Angel let out a frustrated moan, "alright," he finally relented.

"Excellent," the demon doctor proclaimed, turning, "we'll have to prepare as we would in case of any other abdominal operation. With the pain you are in, it would be more comfortable than if I kinda just stabbed you and it would be safer as well. I believe this inflammation has only internal causes, I could mainly describe it similar to Crohn's disease in humans. But with bacteria you never know. As Mr. Pryce stated it is all a bit weird after all. Better not to risk it. We'll be ready shortly."

Angel nodded and replied with a "yes."

The surgeon stepped forward with a vial of liquid and a needle. "we should perhaps sedate you first. It's important that you remain motionless during the procedure…"


	4. Who's Blood Is It Anyway?

Spike slumped in a chair beside Angel's bed, grimly watching Angel sleep. The sick vampire was asleep most of the time and Spike wondered if he would've spent the last forty-eight hours caring for his Sire if it wasn't so and Angel could see him being worried about him. The other members of the team already saw him like that, but they didn't seem to care much. Then again, they didn't seem to care much about anything nowadays…The shots the doctor kept giving Angel had apparently taken effect again, the tightly drawn lines of pain had eased from Angel's face and he was sleeping naturally now. The only problem was that the demon doctor assured them that if Angel would get plenty of rest, human blood and medicine, he would get better in a couple of days and he wasn't getting better. And he only wasn't in pain when his sleep was induced by a strong tranquilliser. Spike picked the now cold cloth off of Angel's stomach and rinsed it in the basin of warm water again, wringing it out thoroughly before putting it back.

"How is Angel?" Wesley stepped in the room.

Spike frowned, "he has been better... I am not sure how to describe it. Drained, I suppose. He is not recovering, I know that much…"

Wesley nodded, remembering in silence how he felt exactly the same on a different plane…"yees," he finally got himself together, "that's why I'm here really. I talked about it with the doctor and we agreed he needs…slayer blood. But we can't actually locate Faith."

"Faith? But we do know where Buffy is."

"Well, Buffy is always the last resource. That is a permanent order from Angel. Usually that causes more complications than not."

"…right enough, watcher," Spike stood up, collecting his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"Rome."

---------------

Angel looked up from his bathtub, surprised to see Spike entering his bathroom swearing. The younger vampire had been avoiding him since he returned with his slayer blood from Italy. He almost shouted at him for disturbing his privacy when he saw that his Childe was totally covered in demon juice, "I thought you enjoyed taking over my duties," Angel smirked.

"Hah! You are taking them back as soon as you're back to full strength!"

Angel silently watched Spike trying to clean his coat, then hesitantly spoke, "this is a large tub…there is room enough for two. I don't mind if you…"

Moments later, the two of them sprawled out in opposite ends of the hot tub, the water taking the weariness out of their bones. Angel rested his head back against the lip of the tub and felt something almost like peace. When he thought about why that one occurred, he realised it was because the only person he could totally let his guards off, the person he didn't have to be ashamed in front of, the person who shared his destiny with was Spike. He stared at him. He had been so troubled, so annoyed he didn't really saw Spike for what he was, for what he could be for him. Even if the occurrence of these peaceful moments was rare, the possibility existed.

"Are you well?" Spike asked suddenly, eyes closed.

Angel raised his head and looked at Spike, startled by the genuineness in the other vampire's voice, "as well as I could be, I suppose," Angel said wearily, "…thanks to you…but I was surprised you came back. You could've just sent the blood. Once you were there…"

"Well, she…she was pissed at me for not telling her I was alive. Thought it's better just to get the hell out of dodge. Maybe later…"

"Aha," big silence from Angel, "…Spike...we are allies by choice. Would it not be easier if we were also friends?"

Spike smiled slightly, "in a strange way we already are…"

"Or, if so, not so strange. It reminds me of the same way of a different way of how we used to be friends. Remember?"

"I remember," Spike said moving directly in front of Angel so that his cock was brushing against Angel's front as arousal swept through him. Angel was, again surprised, this time by the fervent look in his Childe's eyes, "it's so hard, not having what you need, not even anything close to it. We're both frustrated. Over our responsibilities, over…you know who…you do need me now too, don't you?" Very slowly he leaned even more towards Angel, not sure of the reaction he will get. It was passion unleashed as they crushed into each other, sliding flesh and low growls.

There was a clack sound and they both instinctively looked towards the door. Buffy stood there, "oh. My. God."


	5. Versing Over

The vampires jumped apart faster than the blink of an eye. Spike looked away, cursed and mumbled, "does the slayer alarm ever go off in this soddin building?"

Angel grabbed his bathrobe and ran after Buffy who was now at his front door, "please don't be angry."

"I just saw the two most important men in my life together in a situation like…uh yak and I shouldn't be angry? Well, I'm not. In fact, I don't know what I am. I have to figure that emotion out first. What could it be you think? Resentment? Fury? Disillusionment? What do you think?"

"Buffy…I don't know how to explain this…"

"I'm waiting," the slayer folded her arms.

"It is…I can't believe Giles never gave you the watchers' files about us!"

"About you? You mean the two of you…Angelus and Spike. In the past? I can't believe Giles never showed me the watchers' files!"

"Yes."

"I thought you didn't like each other."

"We don't."

"And you decided to prove that with a fool around in the bathtub."

"Well, usually. Usually we don't like each other. But when times are hard and there's no one to turn to. Spike and me, we are similar, we share more in our lives than anyone…you can't possible understand what it is like for us. Everybody needs comfort from somebody who understands. That's all it is."

"And I can't believe I took the time to see how you were Angel! I was concerned. And I came to tell you I'm not mad at you anymore," she turned towards a fully dressed Spike in mucky clothes leaning on the bathroom doorway," well, I wasn't before I got here. But…right. Enough said," she surprised herself with the force she hit Angel in the face. He found himself writhing on the floor, while Buffy launched himself towards Spike and repeated the procedure. Rendered speechless, they watched as their treasured slayer stormed out of the apartment.

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"Arrrg," Angel growled in frustration.

"I wouldn't blame her, mate. But she'll forgive us. She always does. So what now? We could go after her?"

"Together?"

"Then on second thought, maybe not," Spike touched his jaw, "we'd better let her cool down first."

"Then we go after her? You think?"

"Which part of the punching in the face routine you didn't understand? Come on, Peaches, you sometimes act like you don't know Buffy at all. There is no guarantee for either of us that she will listen."

"She did say we were the two most important men in her life…"

"She needs at least twenty four hours to calm down, or, alternatively, about fifteen stakes worth of vampires. And until she calms down…you know actually, this little intermezzo doesn't change anything. We're still frustrated about the same things…we could go back to the bath?" Spike suggested.

"But she came to see you."

"No, she came to see you."

"Right well she's still not baked yet then. She still doesn't know what she wants."

"And if she doesn't we are still in the same situation."

"Thanks for the enlightment."

"No need to thank me. Just helping the helpless," Spike smiled and drew closer and touched the string that held Angel's bathrobe fastened. Angel didn't think his Childe was offensive or making fun of him. He didn't even think of Buffy anymore. At all.


	6. In Betweens

Spike opened his eyes tentatively in Angel's large bed. Although they had definitely enjoyed spending the night together, he wasn't sure how Angel would react in the morning. After all, it had been over a hundred years since their last similar encounter.

Beside him, his Sire was waking up also, "good morning," he whispered hoarsely and Spike couldn't notice any negative connotations in his voice.

"How are you feeling today?" Spike asked suspiciously and with a hint of mockery. Apart from Angel's health status, he also wanted to know the standing of their relationship.

"Home," Angel answered distractedly, referring to the relaxing state reverting back to his old self caused, and that without loosing his soul. Suddenly he sat up, as if he had just come to his senses, "where do you think Buffy is by now? You think she went back to Rome?"

"What does it matter?"

"You're right, it doesn't matter. We messed it up."

"No, mate. If she really loved either of us, she would forgive. Why it doesn't matter is because we've given up. Me, recently, you, a while ago."

"True…nevertheless…"

The phone that they knocked down onto the floor last night in their haste began to ring. Angel moaned as he turned over and out of bed to answer it.

"We were expecting you to be here by now," they heard Harmony chirp from the handset, "Lorne and Gunn is here for the meeting. Wesley is with Buffy, handling the situation."

"What situation?"

"The situation she came here for?"

Angel and Spike looked at each other, dumbfounded, not responding to Harmony for a few seconds, which she took as a non-answer, "didn't she tell you about it??" It was her turn to be surprised.

"I'll be down in a minute," Angel concluded to Harmony.

"So she didn't even come over here for either of us!" Spike sat up, throwing the covers, "some goddamn situation that is!"

"Why are you so upset, Spike?" Angel said ironically, "didn't you just say we didn't stand a chance?"

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"It seemed a good idea at the time," Spike explained to Angel while they were being pissed about Buffy still giving them her orders of trying to interrogate a possibly evil Slayer in LA to find out where their headquarters are. But more importantly they were angry with themselves, for following those orders.

"But even if Willow didn't empower all Slayers, you still would've burnt the ubervamps with your amulet, there wouldn't be a whole organisation of dark Slayers on the loose and we wouldn't be in this mess now."

"Well, yeah, but who did know that at the time?"

"Besides, it's dangerous," Angel fumed on, "she's a Slayer after all!"

"That doesn't usually seem to bother you. She probably thought we could handle a new inexperienced Slayer the two of us, hey?"

"I don't understand why you keep defending her Spike."

"I don't. I'm just trying to calm you down…but actually, why doesn't she do the interrogating herself?"

"Harmony said she went to Arizona with Wesley to collect some magic book with the spell of how to take away the power of the rest of the Slayers. She needs to get to it, before the new dark circle d…," Angel enlightened Spike as they walked down the hallway of the apartment house the alleged dark Slayer allegedly lived.

"What was that?" Spike interrupted and put up a warning hand. They both stopped to his quiet words, listening. There was another noise and then there were four women approaching down the corridor behind them and three exiting an apartment door in the front, all armed with stakes, "now that's trouble," he paused till the woman closest to him was in the ideal position and attempted a hip roll throw. His attacker hit him across the face and then pulled out a gun from her pocket and fired it into his chest, the shot disturbingly ear-splitting in the confined space. Spike's head hit the wall as the blast sent him backwards, then he slid down, lay on the floor and grunted quietly, "what the f…"

So far, Angel didn't attempt to move. He figured, if he would, he would get the same treatment. These were new slayers. They didn't have much training, they didn't know much. Maybe if he could figure out something…he looked at Spike for suggestions.

The blond vampire however, choose one of his characteristically preposterous ways of dealing with things, taunting the girls, "shoot me huh? Nobody told you that doesn't work?"

"It does when it's with bullets filled with garlic concentrate," his assailant told him and raised her gun to Angel's head, while the others closed in, "are these Buffy's boyfriends?"

"Yes," Dana stepped forward.

"What is this?" Angel was confused.

"Kidnapping," the woman let him know before she pulled the trigger.


	7. Kidnapped

"Where is the magic book?" the woman who previously shot him and turned out to be the leader of the dark slayers asked Spike for the sixth time in a few minutes.

"Dunno..." Spike muttered. It wasn't the first time he was tortured, it won't be the last. He went through hell for Buffy, this was nothing, comparatively. They had to be inexperienced slayers in a way to think even for a second that he would give her up. They definitely didn't know their history. Even if some of them had a look at the watcher's files, that would only tell them how he once was. So it would all not make sense to them. Not that it did make sense at all to him, falling in love with the Slayer. It was just one of those things, exception that proves the rule. He received a whip across the face for daring to say the wrong words. It fell hard on his broken nose, and he felt his mouth fill with blood. He swallowed for the fluid to stay down. With not getting anything to eat for a couple of days, he needed his own blood to stay where it belonged at least. After the thirtieths question, answer and reaction he drifted away somewhere between wakefulness, sleep and disorientation, but not enough not to feel himself being pulled along on his stomach at some point later on…

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Spike lifted his head, filling his eyes with his surroundings. Pressing his hand to the almost healed wound in his chest he rose to see Angel lying on his side, his hands chained to the wall behind him, looking just as much beaten up as he had felt himself, if not more, "can you hear me? Are you all right?" he went closer.

There was a barely audible grunt in response, "sore."

"See? You get into trouble because you went out with Buffy once."

"Saying who?"

"Don't blame me, just following my sire's footsteps as a good little vampire would…hey, those chains don't look hard to break. We gotta get out of here. I think I saw a sewer entrance while they were holding me upside down…Lemme try your chains…uh, didn't think it was going to be that easy. Why didn't you set yourself free? Angel? Can you walk?" There was a lengthy silence. Overly lengthy. Spike looked to see Angel's eyes are closed, his body limp, "you grumpy bitter death token," he sighed, "I guess we are going to stay now until the ladies come back for another round…but don't worry, I shall live to knock thy brains out for making me stay…"

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The next thing Angel knew, Spike was playing nurse to him again, tending to the cuts and bruises he suffered during interrogation, "what happened?"

"You faded on me."

"Oh, dear. . ." Angel was slightly confused.

"You are still weak from you illness, the garlic and the beatings and we didn't get anything to eat."

"I'll be all right," he sat up "didn't you say there was a sewer entrance?" He got to his feet a slightly shakily. He still felt light headed and somewhat queasy but he summoned all his determination to stay standing. When he realised he managed that, he put his concentration into kicking the door down. That however, proved itself to be too much effort as he heaved and nearly regurgitated. Or he would have, if there was anything in his stomach. Above all, he will have to thank Spike for caring for him at some point. He swore silently. He didn't like to feel bad and most importantly, he didn't like to thank Spike.

"Sit here, I'll look around," Spike noticed his weakness, "you've got quite a pastiness there, you're going to have to take it slow today," he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Angel didn't felt steady enough to get up and follow him, but he shouted, "we will not speak of this ever again or I'll plonk you in lead and you'll stew like bacon…fainting," he muttered to himself as Spike couldn't hear him anymore anyway, "how utterly embarrassing…"

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Angel felt fingertips brushing against his shoulder, trying to wake him up, caressing him like a lover. He cringed involuntarily away from the fingers and opened his eyes.

"Sewers blocked," Spike reported back, "and it's daytime. But there's nobody around, so I got in touch with Harmony. She's sending a car. Also, apparently Buffy found the book. Dunno where the slayers got to, but we probably don't have to worry about them too much…you ok?" He touched his Sire again gently on the arm. He sat down next to him and leaned back, resting his head against the empty doorframe, exposing his throat to his lover, "take some. You need it."

Angel harshly lowered his head on Spike throat, but he licked and kissed the hollow of it instead, "there's no need for that. Nevertheless, this could be useful…" He sighed settling himself closer to him and rubbed himself lightly against his Childe, his hands down to grip his firm butt.

"You do this all the time?" Buffy looked at them from the corridor, "one always comes to check up on you, one always sees this!" She threw some car keys towards them as she left.

"We messed up again. For good this time…" Angel stated.

"We did mate, we did," Spike guaranteed and as if nothing would've happened, entwined his arms around the older vampire's waist and drew him closer to give him a passionate kiss.

Still troubled by his ex, but not objecting in the least, he returned the kiss. Maybe thanking Spike will not be such a hard thing…

The End.


End file.
